Over 20,000 young people from disadvantaged communities join Scouts

We are thrilled to see the latest figures from the Scouts featured in the Guardian today. Since 2014, the Scouts have been focusing on developing scouting opportunities in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities including Byker in Newcastle, Wythenshawe in south Manchester but also in non-urban areas of deprivation such as Jaywick, an Essex seaside town named among the poorest in Britain.

More than a quarter (26%) of the new units have opened in areas that rank in the bottom 20% of the government’s multiple deprivation index. One of the newest units opened in a community centre in Willesden, north-west London. Some of the children who were attracted to join wanted to avoid gangs, while parents were looking to get their kids away from computer screens, opportunities to socialist and learn new skills.